Harvester platform



y 1 L. A. PARADISE 2,324,171

HARVESTER PLATFORM Original Filed April 29, 1940 INVENTOR LOUIS A.PARADISE I Patented July 13, 1943 HARVESTER PLATFORM Louis A. Paradise,Moline, Ill., assignor to Deere & Company, Moline, 111., a corporationof II- lincis Original application April 29, 1940, Serial No.

332,290. Divided and this application Septem ber 24, 1941, Serial No.412,133

1 Claim.

The present invention relates generally to harvester platforms of thetype comprising a flexible endless draper or apron which runs between apair of laterally spaced side walls and is trained over a pair ofparallel rollers disposed at opposite ends of the platform. Theprincipal object of this invention relates to the provision of novel andimproved fastening means for joining the ends of the draper, which canbe quickly and easily installed and removed. Heretofore, it has been thepractice to join the ends of a draper to form an endless conveyor, bymeans of a plurality of bolts spaced rather closely together across theentire width of the draper. The present invention contempiates the useof a transversely slidable bar member which engages with a pair of beadssecured along the two edges of the draper. By this means, the edges arequickly and easily joined together and the fastening means is moredurable in operation and has fewer parts than in any fastening devicespreviously in use.

This application is a division of an application filed April 29, 1940,Serial No. 332,290, by Anderson, Frederiksen, Johnson and Paradise andissued January 26, 1943, as Patent No. 2,309,155.

The above-mentioned objects and advantages of this invention will beapparent after a consideration of the following description in whichreference is made to the drawing app-ended hereto, in which Figure 1 i aperspective view of a harvester platform showing a draper having afastener embodying the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of one end of a draper fastenerembodying the principle of this invention; and

Figure 3 is an end view of the fastener illustrated in Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawing, reference numeral ltindicates in itsentirety a harvester platform having a pair of laterally spaced sidewalls ii, 52 and a cutter bar l3 disposed transversely across the frontend of the platform. The platform has a pivot hearing it for supportingthe platform on a harvester body, providing for vertical swingingmovement or" the platform on a transversely extending axis. A draper i5is movable on the platform between the side walls Ii, i2 and is trainedover suitable rollers (not shown), one of which is disposed behind thecutter bar l3 and the other of which is journaled for rotation about theaxis of vertical pivoting movement of the platform in a manner wellknownto those skilled in the art, and has a shaft extension it through whichpower is transmitted for driving the conveyor [5 in such a directionthat the upper flight moves upwardly and rearwardly.

The draper hi comprises a fabric ii, to which is secured at intervals aplurality of transversely disposed slats l8, preferably made of wood andriveted to the fabric. The ends of the fabric are joined by means of anovel fastener, indicated in its entirety by reference numeral it.

The fastener it comprises a pair of metal strips 24, 25, which aresecured along the two edges of the fabric ll which are to be joined, bymeans of clamping members in the form of bars extending along the edgesof the fabric above the upper surface thereof. Each edge of the fabric His clamped between a bar 26 and strip 24 by means of suitable bolts orrivets 2?. The inner edges 28 of the strips 25, 25 are curved upwardlyand outwardly to provide a pair of abutting surfaces and a pair ofjuxtaposed beads defining grooves 29 on the sides of the beads oppositethe abutting surfaces.

The strips 24, 25 are detachably connected together by means of achannel-shaped joining member 39 having a pair of downwardly andinwardly turned side portions 3| which are adapted to interlock withinthe grooves 29 under the upwardly turned flange portions 28 of thestrips 2-5, 25. The joining member Si is slidable into engagement withthe grooves 29 from one end of the strips 24, 25.

The draper I5 is installed on a platform with the joining member 38removed, the fabric being trained over the upper and lower rollers andbrought together substantially in the center of the platform. Thejoining mem er 3% is then inserted through an aperture 36 in the sidewall ll of the platform substantially on a level with the upper flightof the draper and the flanges 3i are then engaged with the grooves 29,after which the joining member 30 can he slid through the aperture 33into its normal connected position with its ends substantially flushwith the edges of the draper.

Attention is called to the fact that the joint is well protected againststones and other heavy objects by the clamping bars 26 disposed closelyadjacent the joining member 39. This reduces the possibility of damageto the joint by objects falling upon the joining member and bending itout of shape. The bars 26 can be made of either wood or metal and aregenerally flush with the upper side of the joining member 30.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that this type offastener greatly simplifies the operation of removing and replacing theharvester draper. This encourages the operator of the harvester toremove the draper when the machine is not in use and store the same in asuitable place protected from the Weather, thereby resulting in a longerlife and more satisfactory operation of the draper.

I claim:

In a harvester having a pair of side walls, a draper movable betweensaid walls, said draper comprising a flexible fabric having a pair oftransverse edges normally joined during operation, and means for joiningsaid edges together including means serving as beads along said edgesand a transversely slidable bar member engageable with said beads tosecure them together, one of said side walls having an aperture thereinsubstantially in alignment with one flight of said draper, through whichaperture said bar member is inserted during installation and re- 10moval of said draper.

LOUIS A. PARADISE.

